SRINAGAR: Ten drainage projects under the Smart City Mission have been completed in Srinagar, forming part of an approximately 650-kilometre storm water drainage network that the administration says is backed by 104 permanent dewatering stations with a combined installed capacity of about 2,300 cusecs and a fleet of 281 mobile dewatering pumping units.
The Housing and Urban Development Department told the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly that the completed works include new storm drains integrated with existing sewerage lines and drainage improvement along major corridors. The department said the permanent dewatering stations are equipped with high-tech submersible pumps and SCADA-compatible systems and that mobile units are deployed to low-lying and vulnerable pockets during rainfall events to prevent waterlogging.
The ten completed projects include Batamaloo Qamarwari Road, where 2,129 metres of storm drainage was laid at a reported cost of Rs 0.28 crore, and Batamaloo Mominabad Road, with 300 metres of drainage at Rs 0.045 crore. Residency Road records 3,100 metres of drainage and 1,800 metres of sewerage at Rs 2.20 crore; Maulana Azad Road shows 1,720 metres of drainage and 670 metres of sewerage at Rs 2.00 crore; and Karanagar redevelopment records 2,500 metres of drainage at Rs 2.50 crore.
The department said drains were improved along Residency Road, Maulana Azad Road, Karan Nagar, and other corridors, and that work on storm water connectivity and dewatering capacity has reduced the frequency of surface flooding during normal rainfall. It added that door-to-door drainage and drainage integration remains a priority for the remaining pockets outside the main network.
The assembly papers state that the storm water drainage network now comprises approximately 650 kilometres and that the dewatering infrastructure includes 104 permanent stations and 281 mobile units to be deployed as required. Officials told legislators that the combination of permanent stations, mobile pumps and a hub of SCADA-compatible equipment enables rapid response in affected localities.
The Housing and Urban Development Department said storm water management is being supplemented by regular maintenance, de-silting, deployment of mobile pumps during heavy precipitation, and monitoring by district control rooms. It added that additional drainage improvement works will be taken up as per the Smart City and municipal budgets and subject to requisite clearances.
